Grain-sieve.



No. 677,857. Patentedvluly 9, NH". H. K. CLEMENT;

GRAIN SIEVE.

(Application filed Sept. 1, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT Ormcn.

HENRY K. CLEMENT, OF LAPORTE, INDIANA.

GRAIN-SIEVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,857, dated July 9,1901.

Application filed epteniber 1, 1900. Serial No. 28,839. No model-lthreaded rod 3. Arranged transversely of the T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY K. CLEMENT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Laporte, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Grain-Sieve, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to sieves for cleaning and separating grain; and ithas for its object to provide a device of this kind which may be quicklyand readily changed so as to adapt it for different kinds and qualitiesof material to be operated upon, and thereby avoid the necessity ofproviding a separate sieve for each kind of material.

As ordinarily constructed the threshingmachines which are used upondifferent varieties of grain require several different kinds of sieves,which must be changed or removed from the machine whenever a change ismade from one kind of material to another. Besides taking valuable timefor making the changes and adjusting the machine to the difierentmaterials the owner of the machine is compelled to carrya fullcomplement or set of sieves, and if any of them becomes defective orbroken they must be replaced before the machine can perform its proper functions.

My invention consists in a combined sieve which can be'quickly andeasily adjusted, so as to adapt one sieve for use upon all the differentvarieties or grades of material which will be operated upon by themachine; and it consists in the improved construction and novelarrangement of parts of such a sieve, as will be hereinafter more fullyset forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the samereference-numeralsindicate corresponding parts in each of the views inwhich they occur, Figure 1 is a topplan view of my combined sieve. Fig.2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is asimilar view at one side of the center, and Figs. 4 and 5 are detailviews.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, indicates the main frame ofmy sieve, which is rectangular and of any suitable size for use'u pen amachine for whichit is adapted. Arranged longitudinally at the center ofthe frame is a bar 2, through which and through the ends of the frame ispassed the screw- -2 for the passage of the rod 3.

frame is a series of fiat perforated plates 4 at a suitable distanceapart and having their inner or central portions secured to andsupported by the central bar 2.

Arranged upon the top of the frame 1 is an auxiliary frame 5, preferablyformed from sheet metal and provided with strengtheningribs 6 upon eachedge and a central rib 7. Each of these ribs is preferably triangular incross-section, and the central one extends from end to end of the frameand has its upper edge provided with inclined notches 8. At each end ofthe central rib a substantially U-shaped clamp 9 is secured, whichextends beyond the ends of the main frame 1 and engages with the underside thereof, as shown in Fig. 2.- The bottom portion of each one ofthese clamps is perforated in alinement with the perforation through thecentral bar The ends of the rod beyond the clamps are provided withstops or shoulders 10 and 11, which engage with the clamps and move theauxiliary frame back and forth as the rod is rotated by means of thehandle 12 at one end, the intermediate portion of the rod beingscrew-threaded and passing through screw-threaded plates 13 upon theopposite ends of the main frame.

The central or main portion of the auxiliary frame is slottedtransversely upon each side of the central rib 7 and has the slottedportion bent downward at an inclination to the main portion to form lipsor deflectors 14, which pass down through the spaces between thetransverse strips of the main frame. The remaining flat portions of theauxiliary frame are perforated and of substantially the same width asthe strips upon the main frame. The auxiliary frame is provided uponeach side with one more fiat portion than there are flat portions on themain frame, so that when the frames are adjusted in one position all ofthe spaces will be covered or occupied by the flat portions of theauxiliary frame, and when they are adjusted in the opposite position allof said spaces will be open. To permit of the adjustment or movement ofthe auxiliary frame to its full extent or limit in both directions, theend pieces of the main frame must be beveled or cut away, as shown at15, for

the reception of the inclined wings or blades of the auxiliary frame.

As above described, my improved sieve can he put in a threshing-machinein the usual manner or it can be applied equally as well to the ordinarywindmill or grain-separator. After it has been secured in position it isadjusted by turning the rod 3 until the auxiliary frame has been movedrelatively to the main frame a sufficient distance to leave the desiredspace between the edge of the flat portion provided with the wings orblades and to bring it into the desired relationto the edge of theadjacent strip upon the main frame. When it is desired to use it withlarger grain-as, for instance, oatsthe openings between the strips ofthe two frames are made as Wide as possible. For the small grains, aswheat and barley, the openings are made smaller, while for smallseedssuch as flax, timothy, &c.the' openings are closed entirely, andthe surface of the sieve is made substantially continuous except for thesmall perforations thereover. After the sieve has been once adjusted itwill remain in that p'o sition until changed by rotating the rod 3,which must be done manually, thereby avoiding the possibility of theadjustment of the sieve changing after it has been set. In p1ac ing thesieve within the shoe the wings or blades are set so as to point towardthe fan, and the handle of the rod is placed at the lower or outer endin convenient position for being rotated to adjust the sieve.

The sieve portions of the two frames are preferably formed from zinc orother noncorrosive material and provided with suitable sizedperforations. It is evident, however, that they might be formed from anyother metal or from Woven wire having the desired mesh. It isalso'evident that other modifications might be made, and I reserve tomyself the right to make such changes or alterations in the constructionthereof as will come within the scope of my invention. Y

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a combined sieve, the combination, with two frames, each of whichis provided with a central bar, the one within the main frame beingperforated longitudinally, of a screw-threaded plate at each end of themain frame, a substantially U-shaped clamp secured to the ends of thebar on the movable frame, the central portion of which is perforated andregisters'with the perforation on the main frame and the free endextends to the opposite side of the main frame, a screwthreaded boltthrough said perforation and said plates, each end of which is providedwith a stop for engaging with the clamp, and one end is provided with ahandle, substantially as described.

2. In a combined sieve, the combination, with two frames, each of whichis provided with a central bar and one of them is provided withstrengthening-ribs upon its edges, the ribs and bar upon the movableframe be ing triangular in cross-section and the bar being provided'withinclined notches at its upper edge, each of the frames being providedwith transversely-arranged perforated .strips, and means for adjustablymoving one frame upon the other and holding it in its adjusted position,substantially as described.

l-IENRY K. CLEMENT.

Witnesses:

NORMAN F. WOLFE, JOHN E. MURRAY.

